1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shoe support or supportive insole. More specifically, the present invention relates to a flexible insole or shoe support construction containing a plurality of small sized items providing continuously flexible support.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many types of shoe supports exist for athletic and therapeutic purposes and several forms of rigidly supportive shoe insoles have been developed in pursuit of the same.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,325,920 by F. D. Werner et al., describes a process of filling external ankle sleeves or chambers on a ski boot with hardenable and expandable material (plastic foam is suggested) to provide permanent support during use. A user places their foot within the boot and the chambers are filled with the material which conforms to the shape of the ankle and lower leg and hardens, retaining the shape of the foot between uses. Werner also suggests that the chambers may be filled with particles (sand) surrounded with a sticky binder or sticky special coating such as wax, grease, or a tacky binder sufficient to cause the particles to stick together and provide the desired properties of retention of shape and firm support when the foot is removed. Werner warns that this alternative embodiment is inferior to the hardened material and further warns that this these goals cannot be achieved with liquid or air.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,044 by R. W. Wiele, describes a pad filled with soft elastomeric particles that do not shift but are elastically squeezed to adapt to a force applied to the pad providing a soft and comfortable elastomeric support.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,513 by Oatman, describes heat insulating footwear where spacer sheets are provided with a plurality of large area apertures that are loosely filled with particles of a soft elastomeric insulating plastic material. The particles are preferably formed from the same material as the spacer sheet and, in alternative embodiments, may hollow polystyrene or polyethylene beads. During use the particles act to minimize thermal transfer between a user's foot and keeping a user's foot cool.